You know the old adage, “don’t let good be the enemy of great.” It applies to the Kansas City Chiefs’ trade deadline pursuits, and it’s a lesson we could all take to heart at this time of year.
A perfect option for the Chiefs did not exist. The New York Jets‘ No. 1 receiver, Garrett Wilson, was never going to be traded. The Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to win the Super Bowl, and trading Brian Thomas Jr. in the midst of what should be considered an all-in season never passed the smell test. The Philadelphia
Eagles might be tanking for 2026, but that doesn’t mean they’d make Devonta Smith — a player under contract long-term — available for trade.
The options were limited. The pickings were slim. General manager Brett Veach made the best move that was available.
Wide receiver Josh Downs isn’t a perfect player. He’s roughly the same size as Hollywood Brown. He has not proven to be much of a deep threat in his NFL career. He primarily lines up in the slot, and there’s some redundancy in that regard between him, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy. He’s had a top-10 drop rate among NFL pass catchers this season.
These are all reasons Downs was available for a couple of Day 3 picks. They’re also reasons he shouldn’t be viewed as a transformational agent within the Chiefs’ offense.
With the limitations, though, come some real positives.
Downs is excellent against man coverage, a skill the Chiefs’ wide receiver room has lacked for years. He has real ability to create separation, and he’s been a third-down machine at times. He brings some value as a punt returner. He’s known to be an extremely smart player, and there’s reason to believe he’ll pick up on the offense quicker than someone like Kadarius Toney did in the past.
He’s a good wide receiver. He’s a helpful player. He makes the Chiefs better. And, ultimately, that was the goal at this year’s trade deadline.
In so many ways, this move was about improving the floor at a position. It seems as though a number of Chiefs fans were instead focused on improving the ceiling. The latter is what you accomplish with an offseason move, not an in-season acquisition. At least not this year at this position.
Downs has always seemed like the most logical choice for the Chiefs. He was clearly available; he’s on an expiring contract, and he has the skill to open up the offense on key downs. His ability to beat man coverage and create separation in tight spaces could also help in the red zone, an area this team has struggled more than its fair share in recent seasons.
The Chiefs’ offense still lacks a deep threat. Patrick Mahomes’ average depth of target since Tyquan Thornton’s injury has been lower than at any other point in his career. That’s still something that needs to be addressed, and my belief (this is not reporting, but rather pure speculation) is that the Chiefs will look to improve that area of their offense by looking into a reunion with recently waived wide receiver Hollywood Brown.
Another instance of ‘don’t let great be the enemy of good.’ Brown has his limitations, but he can still get downfield and make plays. He had as many receiving yards in this offense last year as Worthy is currently on pace to produce for the Chiefs in 2026. That’s not a bad player to add for zero draft picks and a minimum veteran contract. He would certainly produce more for the offense than either Cyrus Allen or Andrew Armstrong has provided through the first half of the season.
This is a good time to mention the Chiefs offense is probably more productive than you think this season. They’re fourth in the NFL in yards per drive and eighth in points per drive. Only 5 teams average more net yards per passing attempt this season, and nobody averages more yards per carry than the Chiefs. They’re also on the fringe of the top 10 in the league in both third-down and red-zone conversions.
This is a top 5-10 offense by just about every metric imaginable, and it just added another quality player to the mix.
In the past, Veach has settled for scrap-heap additions at the deadline. This was not one of those instances. Downs was the best option available at the team’s biggest position of need. It’s not a home run addition, but it might qualify as a ground-rule double.
It’s not perfect. But it’s pretty darn good.
